Morris Brown College, one of the oldest Historically Black Colleges (HBCs) in the country, is facing foreclosure. Assets will be auctioned off September 4, and a prayer vigil will be held Saturday to discuss plans to move the school forward.
The institution, a member of the Atlanta University Center that includes Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse and Spelman colleges, has battled with financial and accreditation troubles for the better part of the last decade, culminating with a recent call for $13 million worth of bonds held by investors. It lost its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in December 2002 on the basis of debt and financial mismanagement. The school lost an appeal of the revocation in April 2003, and has seen faltering enrollment and donations since. Once boasting an enrollment of over 3,000 students, Morris Brown currently has only 50, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Morris Brown is the only school in Georgia founded by African-Americans. Despite rallying cries of support from other institutions — including Howard University, which has a page on its website dedicated to saving the college — Morris Brown was unable to recover from the adversities that were initially exposed in 2002.
